The success of the just-ended Leadership Campaign
is a great story in and of itself. All the donors who opened their
hearts and wallets. All the dollars raised. But how this money helps
real people?

Now, thatís a truly inspiring account.

I have a confession to make. One night in January,
the phone rang at my house. When I checked the caller ID, my spirits
fell.

The stories I'd been
hearing had touched
some emotion in me.
And so, to the
well-meaning voice
on the line, I said,
"Sure, I'll give."

It was my alma mater, back in Ohio. I knew what
they wanted.

You've gotten those calls, too — from Northeastern.
You've heard the buoyant voice on the other end of the line talking
about the progress the university has made, thanking you for your
past gift, asking if you can give again. And you've thought, Should
I say I have something burning in the oven?

For me, however, that night was different. Because
I suddenly remembered what I'd been hearing at work about Northeastern-about
the large and small victories that have been won with Leadership Campaign
donations.

About the young woman who got a full-tuition scholarship,
for instance, which led to a computer science degree. Today, she's
working on her PhD, hoping one day to create the kind of technology
that people don't just use because they have to, but because they
love to.

The couple who, to memorialize their son, established
a fund that brings literary lights to campus. The alum who helped
a student get an education, a co-op job, and a career.

And the jump-start funding that created a new school
that teaches students how to launch and manage cutting-edge companies.

The stories I'd been hearing had touched some emotion
in me. And so, to the well-meaning voice on the line, I said, "Sure,
I'll give."

Northeastern has hundreds of compelling examples
of how contributions to the recently completed Leadership Campaign
are helping the university's students, scholars, and schools surge
forward. Almost all began with a phone call and a request.

Since 1998, the campaign has raised more than $203
million from more than 63,900 alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations.
Some contributions were substantial gifts that have already led to
big changes on campus.

But thousands of small gifts made a difference,
too. In fact, the university surpassed its $200 million goal on the
shoulders of a large variety of gifts.

"This was a real university-wide collective effort,"
says senior vice president for institutional advancement Robert Cunningham,
"with more gifts at all levels helping us reach the goal."

The combined force of all these contributions,
the very large to the very small, creates a lasting impact on Northeastern,
Cunningham adds.

"Whether it's been through the annual fund or other
types of giving opportunities," he says, "the campaign gave alumni
a chance to engage with Northeastern in a very meaningful way. It
has really helped create connections among alumni, students, and faculty."

According to Cunningham, it's clear alumni care
deeply about providing for student support and financial aid.

President
Freeland agrees. "The single most compelling reason that motivates
many donors," he says, "is a desire to make sure that the next generation
has the opportunity to attend Northeastern in the same way that our
successful graduates have."

Ronald Rossetti,
BA'66, the Leadership Campaign chair and one of several trustees to
make a $1 million donation to help kick off the fundraising effort,
echoes Cunningham and Freeland.

"We are keeping our promise to our students to
provide the best educational experience possible," he says.

In the wake of the campaign, promises made can
be promises kept. And individual contributions, including those that
by themselves might not pack a lot of punch, provide building blocks
for a dynamic big picture, one that can change people's lives.

More than 450 million raised from members of the university
governing boards.

•

Donations helped fund the contruction of the George D. Behrakis
Health Sciences Center, as well as a number of major renovation
projects

•

The Campus Campaign, a springboard for the Leadership Campaign,
raised more than $3.5 million from Northeastern faculty, staff,
and retirees to help establish the Faculty and Staff Student-Scholarship
Fund.

•

More private support raised than in any other Northeastern fundraising
campaign.